The new site of the International Masquerade Games “Surva” held in the town of Pernik, Bulgaria is ready. The new design and the very good structure of www.surva.org gives a wide range of information in Bulgarian and English about the history, the regulations and the forthcoming editions of the festival.

The application forms for participation in the 17th edition of the festival, which will be held from 25 to 27 January 2008, can be downloaded from the site, as well as finding a beautiful wallpaper of the festival for your monitor.

Surva, the International Festival of the Masquerade Games held in the town of Pernik is the biggest event of this type not only in Bulgaria but on the Balkan Peninsula as well. It promotes variations of ancient Bulgarian customs that are still alive today. These are an important part of the Bulgarian folklore tradition and are meant to be performed by single men and women. With its competitive nature, the festival is not only a venue but also a contest for the living vessels of this tradition, namely the Kukeri and Survakari.

The Municipality of Pernik has been holding the festival ever since 1966. In 1985 the festival gained international-event status. In 1995 the International Federation of Carnival Cities accepted the town of Pernik as its full member.

The International Festival of the Masquerade games is held in the month of January of every even year. Its most attractive feature is its two-day parade for masquerade companies from Bulgaria and abroad.

On average, around 5 000 people or about 90 groups from every folklore region of Bulgaria, as well as companies from Europe, Asia, and Africa take part in the contest.

See the pictures from last International Festival of the Masquerade Games - Surva 2006

Written by Boris Dimitrov
English version Vera Aronova